Last year, Optimist International encouraged its clubs to participate in Optimist in Action day. The idea was that an Optimist Club would perform a community service activity one day - any day - in May.
I thought that seemed a bit silly; after all, Optimist Clubs find action throughout the year in all the programs and services they perform.
Today I looked for the activity on the Optimist International website and I discovered that Optimist in Action day actually became a thing in 1992. According to the
History of Optimist International, its purpose was to include others in an Optimist Club project at least once per year:
In 1992, a new and innovative program, titled Optimists in Action Day, was introduced as a pilot program to unite Optimists and other volunteers in the community in a single day of community or youth service.
If your Optimist Club is like mine, it probably includes Optimist Club members and community members in its projects most of the time. Instead of promoting our clubs on one day of the year, I suggest that we make our activities more visible every time we host an activity or event or volunteer in the community.
For example, Clyde Adams posted this sign on Facebook today. This weekend, the Four Towns Optimist Club will host an Easter Egg Hunt and this sign will be there letting the public know that the Optimist Club is in action.
Get one for your Optimist Club today!
